How Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand avoided large‐scale mpox (formerly monkeypox) outbreaks in 2022–2023

Cornelisse, Vincent J.; Heath‐Paynter, Dash; Delpech, Valerie; Read, Phillip; Apostolellis, Alexis; Medland, Nicholas A.; MacIntyre, C. Raina; Giola, Massimo; Kidd, Michael

doi:10.1111/imj.16236

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 18 publications

(33 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Organisations were primed and experienced in delivering non-stigmatising health information to GBMSM due to their historic and ongoing role in the HIV epidemic, enabling them to rapidly mobilise and translate emerging mpox knowledge into co-produced advocacy and health promotion campaigns. The organisational legacy of the HIV epidemic in shaping the mpox response is not unique to the UK, with similar experiences evidenced in Australia [ 33 ]. Researchers have been calling for timely and meaningful engagement with at-risk priority populations and community organisations since the lessons learnt from the 2013–2016 West African Ebola outbreak [ 34 – 36 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community led health promotion to counter stigma and increase trust amongst priority populations: lessons from the 2022–2023 UK mpox outbreak

Biesty,

Hemingway,

Woolgar

et al. 2024

BMC Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Stigma, lack of trust in authorities, and poor knowledge can prevent health-seeking behaviour, worsen physical and mental health, and undermine efforts to control transmission during disease outbreaks. These factors are particularly salient with diseases such as mpox, for which 96% of cases in the 2022–2023 UK outbreak were identified among gay, bisexual, queer and men who have sex with men (MSM). This study explored stigma and health-seeking behaviour in Liverpool through the lens of the recent mpox outbreak. Methods Primary sources of data were interviews with national and regional key informants involved in the mpox response, and participatory workshops with priority populations. Workshop recruitment targeted Grindr users (geosocial dating/hookup app) and at risk MSM; immigrant, black and ethnic minority MSM; and male sex workers in Liverpool. Data were analysed using a deductive framework approach, building on the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework. Results Key informant interviews (n = 11) and five workshops (n = 15) were conducted. There were prevalent reports of anticipated and experienced stigma due to mpox public health messaging alongside high demand and uptake of the mpox vaccine and regular attendance at sexual health clinics. Respondents believed the limited impact of stigma on health-seeking behaviour was due to actions by the LGBTQ + community, the third sector, and local sexual health clinics. Key informants from the LGBTQ + community and primary healthcare felt their collective action to tackle mpox was undermined by central public health authorities citing under-resourcing; a reliance on goodwill; poor communication; and tokenistic engagement. Mpox communication was further challenged by a lack of evidence on disease transmission and risk. This challenge was exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the scientific community, public perceptions of infectious disease, and trust in public health authorities. Conclusions The LGBTQ + community and local sexual health clinics took crucial actions to counter stigma and support health seeking behaviour during the 2022–2023 UK mpox outbreak. Lessons from rights based and inclusive community-led approaches during outbreaks should be heeded in the UK, working towards more meaningful and timely collaboration between affected communities, primary healthcare, and regional and national public health authorities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community led health promotion to counter stigma and increase trust amongst priority populations: lessons from the 2022–2023 UK mpox outbreak

Biesty,

Hemingway,

Woolgar

et al. 2024

BMC Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Informed, but uncertain: managing transmission risk and isolation in the 2022 mpox outbreak among gay and bisexual men in Australia

Storer,

Holt,

Paparini

et al. 2024

Culture, Health & Sexuality

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mpox Illness Narratives: Stigmatising Care and Recovery During and After an Emergency Outbreak

Smith,

Storer,

Lancaster

et al. 2024

Qual Health Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In May 2022, a global outbreak of mpox (formerly monkeypox virus) affected thousands of mainly gay and bisexual men. Mpox is usually a time-limited illness that can involve fever, pain, and skin lesions, but may require hospitalisation. There is scant research into the firsthand experiences of people affected by mpox, including experiences of symptoms, healthcare, and recovery. This study considers the different illness narratives of people who experienced mpox in Australia in 2022. In-depth interviews and 6-month follow-up interviews were conducted with 16 people, including 13 people diagnosed with mpox and three close contacts. All participants were cisgender gay or bisexual men living in Australia. Participants’ accounts described minor to severe periods of sickness, negative and stigmatising experiences engaging with healthcare, and some participants experienced long-term effects on their sexual well-being and complications from mpox. The emergency outbreak context meant that mpox was highly distressing, making it difficult to manage and producing varying forms of disruption to everyday life. Mpox was narrated as disruptive in different ways: as a minor interruption to holiday plans, a prolonged period of poor health, or a biographically disruptive event prompting a re-evaluation of sexual values and health. This analysis demonstrates that an unfamiliar emergent disease outbreak related to sexual practices and sociality can reconfigure personal life and sexual well-being, suggesting a need to focus on providing quality patient care in outbreaks of mpox and other infectious diseases.

show abstract

How Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand avoided large‐scale mpox (formerly monkeypox) outbreaks in 2022–2023

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Community led health promotion to counter stigma and increase trust amongst priority populations: lessons from the 2022–2023 UK mpox outbreak

Community led health promotion to counter stigma and increase trust amongst priority populations: lessons from the 2022–2023 UK mpox outbreak

Informed, but uncertain: managing transmission risk and isolation in the 2022 mpox outbreak among gay and bisexual men in Australia

Mpox Illness Narratives: Stigmatising Care and Recovery During and After an Emergency Outbreak

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About